The Souls of Black Folk

“The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line,” writes Du Bois, in one of the most prophetic works in all of American literature. First published in 1903, this collection of 15 essays dared to describe the racism that prevailed at that time in America—and to demand an end to it. Du Bois’ writing draws on his early experiences, from teaching in the hills of Tennessee, to the death of his infant son, to his historic break with the conciliatory position of Booker T. Washington.

The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass: Written by Himself

The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass was Douglass' third autobiography. In it he was able to go into greater detail about his life as a slave and his escape from slavery, as he and his family were no longer in any danger from the reception of his work. In this engrossing narrative he recounts early years of abuse; his dramatic escape to the North and eventual freedom, abolitionist campaigns, and his crusade for full civil rights for former slaves.

Born Again: What Really Happened to the White House Hatchet Man

In the 1970s, against the backdrop of the explosive Watergate scandal, Charles Colson revealed the story of his own search for meaning during the tumultuous investigations that led to the collapse of the Nixon administration. A convicted former special counsel to the president, Colson paradoxically found new life - not with success and power, but while in national disgrace and serving a prison sentence.

Through Gates of Splendor

In January 1956, a tragic story flooded headlines around the world. Five men, spurred by a passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ, ventured deep into the jungles of Ecuador. Their goal: to make contact with an isolated tribe whose previous response to the outside world had been to attack all strangers.Through Gates of Splendor, the story of Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Jim Elliot, was first recorded in 1956 by Jim's widow, Elisabeth.

The Mis-Education of the Negro

Here is an unapologetic look into the factors that have caused so many Blacks to think and act in the negative way they do towards themselves and others. This timely body of work is from a man well versed in the American educational system, as well as educational systems throughout the world.

Notes of a Native Son

Written during the 1940s and early 1950s, when Baldwin was only in his twenties, the essays collected in Notes of a Native Son capture a view of black life and black thought at the dawn of the civil rights movement and as the movement slowly gained strength through the words of one of the most captivating essayists and foremost intellectuals of that era.

Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II

In this groundbreaking historical expose, Douglas A. Blackmon brings to light one of the most shameful chapters in American history - an Age of Neoslavery that thrived from the aftermath of the Civil War through the dawn of World War II.

Character Building

In Character Building are 37 addresses that Booker T. Washington gave before students, faculty, and guests at the Tuskegee Institute. These addresses take the form of timeless advice on a number of subjects. These talks are delivered - in the motivational and uplifting manner one would expect from this American icon - on education, ethics, morals, deportment, spirituality, and the dignity of labor.

The Mis-Education of the Negro

"The Mis-Education of the Negro" is a book originally published in 1933 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. The thesis of Dr. Woodson's book is that blacks of his day were being culturally indoctrinated, rather than taught, in American schools. This conditioning, he claims, causes blacks to become dependent and to seek out inferior places in the greater society of which they are a part. He challenges his readers to become autodidacts and to "do for themselves", regardless of what they were taught.

An Old-Fashioned Girl

A country girl named Polly is visiting city friends and comes to realize that this world is quite different than which she has left. Here people are judged according to their dress and manner of speech rather than for their honesty and hard work. Yet all who meet Polly cannot help but be enamored of her; her sweet simplicity is unlike any that they have ever seen, and soon everyone comes to realize that Polly is not someone to be laughed at and ridiculed, but someone to put upon a pedestal for failing to become willing prey to the cynicism of the times.

The Red Badge of Courage

Stephen Crane's classic novel gives us a glimpse into the mind of a young soldier as he passes through the experience he will never be able to forget, and possibly awaken him from his slumber in a sweat and panic for years to come.

The Fire Next Time

At once a powerful evocation of his early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice to both the individual and the body politic, James Baldwin galvanized the nation in the early days of the civil rights movement with this eloquent manifesto. The Fire Next Time stands as one of the essential works of our literature.

The Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy Is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy

In this classic work, Professor George G. M. James methodically shows how the Greeks first borrowed and then stole the knowledge from the Priests of the African (Egyptian) Mystery System. He shows how the most popular philosophers including Thales, Anaximander, Plato and Socrates were all treated as men bringing a foreign teaching to Greece. A teaching so foreign that they were persecuted for what they taught.

The Sign of the Beaver

At just 12 years old, Matt must face serious challenges in the Maine wilderness while awaiting his father's return to their cabin. When he is saved from a terrifying bee swarm attack by an Indian chief and his grandson Attean, Matt gains a valuable friend in the young Indian boy.

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, magnum opus, tells the story of Hester Prynne, who gives birth two years after separation from her husband and is condemned to wear the scarlet letter A on her breast as punishment for her adultery. She resists all attempts of the 17th century Boston clergy to make her reveal the name of her child’s father while she struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity.

Johnny Tremain

Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting operations and subterfuges leading up to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. As Johnny is forced into the role of a full-grown man in the face of his new country's independence, he finds that his relations with those he loves changes for the better as well.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The six Herdman children are “absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world”. They lie and steal and smoke cigars. They even burned down Fred Shoemaker’s old toolhouse. Now they’re taking over the Christmas pageant. The Herdmans have never heard the Christmas story before, and they don’t know anything about shepherds or Wise Men. When Imogene hears about the swaddling clothes, she demands to know why anyone would tie up a baby and put him in a feedbox.

Publisher's Summary

Booker T. Washington fought his way out of slavery to become an educator, statesman, political shaper, and proponent of the "do-it-yourself" idea. In his autobiography, he describes his early life as a slave on a Virginia plantation, his steady rise during the Civil War, his struggle for education, his schooling at the Hampton Institute, and his years as founder and president of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which was devoted to helping minorities learn useful, marketable skills.

He gives an account of his travels, speeches, and meetings with various leaders, including Theodore Roosevelt in the White House. Employing a didactic tone, Washington deftly sets forth his belief that the black man’s salvation lies in education, industriousness, and self-reliance. This is the true-life story of a man of real courage and dedication.

Booker Taliaferro Washington (1856-1915), founder of Tuskegee Institute, was a leading educator, author, and statesman who rose from slavery to become internationally famous.

Public Domain (P)1995 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What the Critics Say

"Remains one of the most important works on such an influential African American leader." (Professor Delia Crutchfield Cook, University of Maryland)

"This book is a must-[listen]." (Professor Warren C. Swindell, Indiana State University)

It's not often, as a black man in America I get the chance to hear a firsthand account of how African Americans transitioned from slavery into a new world of freedom. The narrator did an amazing job reliving Mr. Booker T. Washington's words over a hundred years after the original writing. I felt like Booker. T Washington was talking to directly to me. What an amazing story. Must have.

This was an excellent account of the life of Booker T Washington, very inspirational and informative - definitely a good read. I did not find the narrator very effective, but the story is so interesting that I learned to get used to him. This is a wonderful historic account of self determination, hard work, and true rags to riches - B T Washington is an inspiration to all and his story is full of life lessons useful to all! Highly Recommend.

Booker T. Washington was truly a great man and this was a very good book. This book remains an excellent guidebook on how to build and live a truly worthwhile life. The simple ingredients remain: hard work, building a righteous character through practical means and being a blessing to other people.

I get easily discouraged, so it was with a mixture of shame and outright inspiration that I listened to "Up from Slavery". How can you not be inspired by a man who was born into slavery, barely knowing his mother because hard labor was so constant, a man who worked in a mine when emancipated, who slept on the streets, and went on to have an honorary doctorate bestowed upon him by Harvard, to have the President of the United States of America come speak to his school?You'll learn about keeping yourself skilled and educated, to be ready when that opportunity presents itself (and it will). Liquor is a waste of time. Be able to think outside the box. Follow your flow by doing that one great thing in your life. Speak from your heart and soul. Reach out to find your common humanity with other races.A short book for an incredible life. Definitely worth the listen. It'll have you motivated and getting ready to reach for the stars...

Every American should read this book! This is the story of a man who worked hard to accomplish what he did, and though he was very intelligent, he went above and beyond the expected and never complained. Booker T. Washington is a terrific example for high school and college students, and I will recommend this book. The tone and pacing of the narrator seemed just right for this book. Highly recommend!

What did you like best about Up from Slavery? What did you like least?

I enjoyed the earlier part of the book much more than the later portion. While Booker Washington was unquestionably a great American, a devoted workaholic and a good-hearted man, the book drifts into a lot of self-lauding and listing of the "best people" he believed himself privileged to meet. He repeatedly quotes his own speeches followed by the fawning reviews in newspapers. It might have come across better in a biography rather than an autobiography. In any event, the book drifts into tedium, especially when listing unknown dignitaries of the past who attended such-and-such dinner or convention or whatever, and who are now consigned to the backwaters of history. Washington also comes across as a little naive (not surprising given his background and the times). For example, he expected racial tensions to be wiped out in 20-30 years. He seemed unwilling to state definitively that some people's behavior during Reconstruction was absolutely beyond-the-pale horrific, for example downplaying the "habit of lynching." Similarly, he states repeated generalities about the wisdom and inherent goodness of wealthy people (i.e., donors to his school) that it's hard not to view as careful pandering to past and future revenue sources. Oh well. His is definitely a story worth hearing, but the hazards and temptations of writing one's own biography are apparent.

Has Up from Slavery turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

Did Noah Waterman do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?